Illinois Department of Agriculture clears farmer - for now

Tuesday

Mar 25, 2008 at 12:01 AMMar 25, 2008 at 12:10 PM

The owner of a rural Hanna City farm where six dead cows were found and another 50 or so were living in filth is, for now, in the clear after complying with orders of the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

Leslie Fark

The owner of a rural Hanna City farm where six dead cows were found and another 50 or so were living in filth is, for now, in the clear after complying with orders of the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

On Monday, farmer Reinhard Lauber was given 24 hours to have a veterinarian come to his property to give care to his herd of cattle and properly dispose of carcasses.

"I do know that the veterinarian has been there and the dead cattle have been buried," Illinois Department of Agriculture spokesman Jeff Squibb said Tuesday. "Both notices have been complied with."

Personnel from the Department of Agriculture, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Peoria Animal Welfare Shelter met at the farm Monday morning after the Peoria County Sheriff’s Department fielded an anonymous complaint over the weekend. The caller told police there were several dead cows on the property and the animals were living in deplorable conditions.

An investigator with the Department of Agriculture found six dead cows in a barn, said Squibb, adding two additional cows had to be euthanized Monday because of poor health.

One of the cows, which recently gave birth, was a "downer," meaning it was incapable of walking, Squibb said. The other euthanized cow was suffering from hoof rot and could barely walk.

"Apparently the conditions in a barn on site were deplorable," Squibb said, referring to the investigator’s notes. "The barn had not been cleaned for quite some time. Feces had built up and animals in the barn could not get access to food."

Because of the excess manure and urine in the barn, three cows were diagnosed with hoof rot. Several other cattle were in need of care, but what ailment they were suffering from was not available.

The remaining cattle appeared healthy, the inspector wrote, but concerns about the large amount of animal waste in the barn would be something the agency would need to follow up on.

"The most pressing need is to get the barn cleaned and get the cows on a dry surface," Squibb said. "When they’re wallowing in feces and urine, it promotes conditions like hoof rot."

The reasoning why Lauber failed to properly care for his cattle was not known Tuesday. Lauber could not be reached for comment.

"At this point we don’t know," Squibb said. "Those are issues that will be looked into. Our first priority is the welfare of the animals. Questions like that are dealt with later."

The agency will be checking on Lauber periodically to ensure the cattle are getting the care they need.

"Typically, the notices not only require that a vet check the animals, but requires the owner to follow the vet’s instructions," Squibb said.

When the investigation is completed, the case will be forwarded to the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office for review, with criminal charges possible.

Findings of the IEPA investigation were not available Tuesday. They were called to the farm because there was a possibility that creek water was in danger of being polluted because of runoff from the build-up of manure.